1969 was a big year for Miles Davis. He released two classic albums, "In A Silent Way" and
Bitches Brew. In addition to this, he practically invented Jazz-Rock and created a style that countless fusion and funk musicians would continue to draw on.
Credits:
Miles Davis - Trumpet
Chick Corea - Piano
Larry Young Piano
Joe Zawinul Organ, Piano
John McLaughlin - Guitar
Harvey Brooks - Bass, Guitar
Dave Holland - Bass
Wayne Shorter - Soprano Sax
Bennie Maupin - Bass Clarinet
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
Don Alias - Percussion, Conga, Drums
Airto Moreira - Percussion, Cuica
Jimmy Riley - Percussion
Jumma Santos - Percussion, Conga, Shaker
Lenny White - Drums
Not enough can be said about the impact that
Bitches Brew has had on music. With it's dark sound and incredible musicians, such as John McLaughlin and Chick Corea (musicians who are incredibly sucessful in their own right),
Bitches Brew was the start of fusion jazz. On first listen,
Bitches Brew appears to be nothing more than an extended jam session, a mess of keyboards and rhythm section, while Davis' staccato solos sweep between the rest of the band. On further and closer listens, however,
Bitches Brew proves to be an expertly constructed piece of work. With each listen, there is always something new to discover. Whether it be Davis' extremely innovative playing, the odd sax solo here and there, the excellent rhythm section or McLaughlin's excellent funk style guitar work, "Bitches Brew" makes more sense with each consecutive listen.
Often accused to being 'too arty',
Bitches Brew is still seen as one of the most important and revolutionary albums in jazz.
Bitches Brew is an incredibly mysterious album. The sounds created by the lineup (often using 12 or more musicians at once) aren't often heard in jazz and before
Bitches Brew's release, had never been heard before. Davis' soloing is nothing short of incredible. Ranging from staccato to that "jump out of your seat" sound heard on the title track, to the smooth and sexy, as a musician,
Bitches Brew is certainly one of Davis' finest moments. The drumming, while very much jazz drumming has a large rock influence with it's shuffles and groovy fills. The two basses and keyboards are nothing short of incredible, creating some excellent grooves for Miles and the saxophones to play over. Switching between his funk comping of jazz chords and soloing over the music, John McLaughlin's guitar work is some of the best guitar work ever seen in jazz. Despite both the criticism and hype that
Bitches Brew receives, it remains to be one of the most revolutionary, interesting and enjoyable jazz records ever made.
Pros
- A lineup of incredible musicians
- One of the most revolutionary jazz albums of all time
- Astounding replay value
Cons
- A difficult listen: some tracks are incredibly long, even by jazz standards
- Can sound like a mess until the listener "gets it"
- While the fact that this double album has no filler, it is certainly tedious to listen to all the way through
Reccomended Tracks
Pharaoh's Dance
Bitches Brew
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
FINAL RATING: 5/5